Why Comments Matter in the Entertainment Industry

Engagement on ads and organic is paramount for brands, especially in the entertainment industry where engagement is huge, ad spend is high, and so is competition. In fact, according to Statista, Media & Entertainment brands are the second most engaged brands on social media, accounting for 29% percent of social media actions.

Why are some advertisers in the entertainment industry missing the mark when it comes to engagement, and what role does the comments section play in all of this?

The role comments play in the entertainment industry

Your entertainment brand likely takes measures to protect itself from brand safety threats by paying extra attention to ad placements and triple-checking that extremism or fake news is not in the same vicinity as your advertisements.

Comments are similar to ad placement in that they have the potential to impact a brand’s image, yet they aren’t treated the same. Just as consumers associate the content surrounding a brand’s page with that brand, consumers also associate the comments left on a brand’s social page with that brand. Considering buyers often depend on your brand’s comments section, heading to it to read reviews or ask questions about products or services. According to a recent study, 79% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from family or friends.

Now that we understand why your brand can’t afford to ignore comments on social media, let’s dive into more specific cases.

1) Piracy & scam pose threats in the comments section

In the entertainment industry, in particular, brands tend to receive a large number of piracy comments. Piracy comments can put your followers in a dangerous situation while leading to fewer conversions and a decreased brand reputation.

In this golden age of content it's more important than ever that we remain vigilant about copyright protection,” says CBS executive VP Jonathan Anschell in a statement. “For the creative community to truly flourish, it must know that its work will be safe from theft.

BrandBastion has seen the impact of free streaming links and spam in the comments section of entertainment brands’ accounts. Our solutions help by monitoring and managing those comments that pose major brand safety threats. By combating piracy comments, your brand could also boost its revenue and brand reputation.

2) Protect fans from hate speech

Comments on a brand’s social page that are racist or discriminatory are just as dangerous for your brand as poor ad placement, if not worse. When people read those negative comments, they could associate that sentiment with your brand.

Entertainment brands tend to receive hateful, racist, and dangerous comments, often targeting the talent in ads or programs. Certain brands might be open to the use of profanity and harsh language in the comments section. However, discriminatory or hateful comments that threaten your audience and put your brand at risk should never be tolerated. Family-friendly entertainment brands, in particular, might want to keep an even closer eye on any negative, dangerous, or vulgar language.

Your entertainment brand needs to monitor the discussions in the comments section to avoid negative brand associations and protect your online community and your brand’s reputation. BrandBastion’s Moderation + Alerts Solution protects your brand 24/7 from situations you consider sensitive and perceived threats to your brand’s safety. We help movie studios fight piracy, illegal streaming, hate speech, and copyright infringement on social media while protecting your ad spend and providing insights into how fans are reacting across campaigns. 

Learn more about social media moderation and why it’s essential by reading this article.

3) Discover how fans are reacting to new releases

Social media is the first place many fans go to to learn about upcoming releases and spread anticipation among their friends. BrandBastion’s solutions are helpful as we provide detailed insights in real-time regarding sentiment towards actors, the plot, or the CGI effects when a new trailer is released. Additionally, if there is growing negative sentiment towards a leading actor or spokesperson associated with an upcoming release, BrandBastion sends alerts in real-time. This allows you to take action instead of spending huge budgets promoting ads that are driving negative awareness.

People might be begging for the next season of a series or asking for a sequel to a movie in the comments section. However, your brand won't know this unless your teams dedicate the time and attention to analyze the comments section and engage with your online audience. Social listening allows your brand to understand your audience's needs, wants, and expectations, which helps your brand gather insights to guide strategy and business decisions. 

Brand Spotlight: HBO Max

Certain entertainment brands, especially streaming services, have the opportunity to build a lot of hype around new releases and upcoming content. As you can see in the example below, HBO Max fans are going crazy over the Made for Love series, now streaming. They already have a strong fan base and a big following. The brand is receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback after posting captivating images from the series on Instagram. You can see in the example below how HBO Max has taken the time to read and engage with the comments, demonstrating how they listen to their fans and engage with them in a friendly and consistent manner. It is clear that HBO Max values the opinion of their followers, and the brand doesn't miss a chance to acknowledge their views and address them personally. 

4) Quality engagement can boost brand exposure & build community

Brands that entertain genuinely know how to capture an audience. Disney is a wonderful example of this. The brand understands the true meaning of storytelling and has extended its fan community to the online social space. When entertainment brands tell meaningful, compelling, and captivating stories and manage to create hype about their content, a tight-knit community can be fostered online. Comments on these ads and organic posts lead to more exposure, a loyal audience, and more conversions.

On average, 66% of people between the ages of 18-54 see brands more favorably if they respond to customer service requests on social media.  Brands create a stronger community by responding to positive comments online. At the same time responses to complaints, requests, FAQs are also very important to improve customer loyalty and retention.

Brand Spotlight: Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Brand continues to inspire its fan base and recently has joined together to celebrate Pride Month. Fans came to Instagram to praise Disney, making comments such as "thank you for being on the right side of history on this issue." In 2021, consumers expect brands to join in and have conversations about social issues and discrimination; thus, the Disney community was proud to see the brand take this step forward. Disneyland has the opportunity to build even more community by engaging with and responding to these positive and excited comments.

Keeping your entertainment brand safe on social media

Entertainment brands tend to get a lot of engagement on their social media pages, making it difficult for internal teams to manage, monitor, and respond at scale.  BrandBastion’s Customer Engagement solution makes engagement easy by responding to comments on your brand’s behalf within 60 minutes, 24/7. There’s no limit to scalability and we respond to a wide variety of categories, including but not limited to - Fan community, FAQs, and customer complaints. Our moderation solution can also protect your brand from threatening comments such as discrimination, hate speech, and piracy. Our Moderation + Alerts solution takes the weight off your shoulders, giving you peace of mind, assured that comments are effectively monitored 24/7.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR ENTERTAINMENT BRAND